Rachel's eyes darted around at the three other men who faded out of the dim reaches of the airlock tunnel. "Don't suppose this here's a legal seizure?" The leader shrugged. "Not particularly. Just a few businessmen trying to make it in this cruel 'verse." "Ain't worried about security? Don't think the rest o' your coworkers here'd appreciate you bringin' the law down on this rock." "Security's less a problem when your inside man cuts off the cameras." Before Rachel had time to ask the question, the fifth man stepped out from behind the edge of the cargo bay. "Hwoon dahn!" the captain snarled. Woof just grinned. "Real sorry, Cap'n. Y'all seem like nice folk, but a man's gotta live." "Wouldn't put that to a vote just now, I were you." The older man cut off Woof's response. "Where's your friend?" The big man's grin faded. "Sent him off. No reason he needs to be here." Rachel spared a glance to Sir Anderson as the noble pulled himself to his feet. She shook off his curious glance and turned back to the lead gunman. "So you gonna somehow escort us all off, scour the ship t' make sure we ain't left no stowaways, and keep anybody from runnin' off an' tellin' colony security all with five men? That about right?" Two of the men in back exchanged a worried glance. "Don't you listen to her." The leader fixed his gun on the captain. "You just shut up or I'll give ya a new hole to talk through, dong ma?" "Oh, yeah, that's real bright. Gunshot brings everybody runnin', you gotta fix the problem with our engine and get outta here before they come. How long Dex say those repairs'd take, Sir Chen?" The nobleman cleared his throat. He wasn't used to being part of the plan. "About a day, I believe." "About a day. Which one y'all's the genius mechanic gonna pull that off?" One of the men closer to the airlock started to twitch. Rachel didn't like the look. "Duke, I don't know about this…" "Gorramit, Ray, she's bluffing." "Yeah, course I am…" "…gorramit, shut your mouth…" "…Duke, let's just forget it. They won't tell nobody…" "…oh, right, 'cause your good friend's on crew. He's such a good friend why'd you have to…" "…don't, man, Dex was…" "…man's right, y'all just step off my boat and we can…" "…Duke, come on…" "…shut up, Ray! We're gonna…" "…don't make me…" "Woof, what's go—" The man with the twitch spun toward the new voice and fired. Before the leader could turn his head back from where the blonde and the redhead had entered the docking tunnel, Rachel was on his back. Mona shrieked as the leader fired spasmodically, a bullet stinging against the cargo crate behind her as Sir Anderson dragged her to the ground beneath him. The rest of the men had their eyes fixed on the tunnel, the redheaded mechanic staring back at them wide-eyed, his mouth moving impotently. A gasping cough snapped his attention back to Carmen. "Am I…Carl, what…" He grabbed onto her seeking hand with one of his own, and moved his other down to press against the pulsing hole in her stomach. "No, you're fine, it's okay. You're gonna be fine…" Mariah skidded to a stop at the mouth of the docking tunnel, her mind grasping frantically for a moment until, with a look around the pandemonium on the cargo ramp, the situation registered. "Leo!" Carmen looked down at the red seeping out between her friend's fingers, then the water seeping from his eyes, and she grinned. "You never were much of a liar, Carl Dexter." The doctor, still trying to catch up with Mariah's forceful pace, broke into a run when he heard her shout. "No, no, Carmen…Carmen, you're gonna be all right. I swear." The leader stumbled backwards, and Rachel grunted in pain as she impacted the wall of the cargo bay. The man leveled his gun on the stunned woman. Then he couldn't breathe. Leo skidded to a stop around the edge of the docking tunnel, eyes drawn first to Mariah, then to where she was looking. Leo stepped around Dex, leaning down to pry the mechanic's hand away from the wound. When Dex looked up at him, the doctor shook his head. "It went all the way through the stomach, maybe nicked the spinal cord. I'm sorry, Carmen." When his former business partner stopped struggling, Woof released the man from his grip and bolted through his paralyzed comrades toward the end of the tunnel. Carmen's eyelids drooped, and Dex shook his head. "No, don't you listen to him, Carmen. You're too tough to give up now. I know you better'n that." Carmen smiled, her teeth stained garish red at the edges. "You haven't changed one bit, Carl Dexter." The blonde's smile relaxed, and her eyes flitted shut. Mariah looked away. Woof slowed as he neared the group hunched around his childhood friend. "Carmen, is she…" Dex's head shot around, his eyes boring in to the larger man. Woof stopped. Woof fell to his knees. Saul moved across the cargo bay as the ship broke from the meteor, coming to stand next to his silent commander. "Got underway sooner than I expected." Rachel nodded, subdued. "Well, I 'spect Dex felt motivated to get all this behind us as soon as possible." The cook sighed. "Sir, I…I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. Guess I'm gettin' sloppy in my old age." "Saul…number o' times you've saved my life…I'll let you have an off day just this once." The cook tried to smile. Dex squeezed his eyes shut, trying to let the rhythmic hum of the engine carry him away. But it was no use. There was too much going through his head to let him center himself. He opened his eyes with an angry snort to find Mariah standing meekly in the door frame. He tried to meet her eyes, but was almost sure of what he'd see. "Hi." The dilettante cleared her throat. "Mona…thought you might need someone to talk to." Dex still kept his eyes on the floor, and Mariah began to turn away from the door. "I was born a slave." She stopped. When she looked back, the mechanic was meeting her eyes. "My parents belonged to a rancher back on Beaumonde. I bought my freedom not two years ago." "Why didn't you tell me?" His gaze faltered. "I…I didn't know what you'd think of me…if you knew the truth." "Why does it matter what I think?" She leaned down to the seated mechanic's eye level. "Dex, you're a good man. Nothing could ever make me think anything else about you." He nodded, once again unable to look directly at her. "I'm sorry." Mariah sighed, pulled back, and watched the mechanic's eyes slide closed again. After a moment's thought, Mariah stepped back in to the engine room. Dex looked up, and she shook her head. Facing him, the dilettante lowered herself down, crossing her legs, listening to the hum of the engine, and closed her eyes.